Author's Note: I think it's that time to remind everyone that I don't own HSM characters as much as I would like to. I don't own the song in this chapter either, as much as i would like to own that too.
The foursome soon left Toys 'R' Us and began to walk the sidewalks of New York City…again. They didn't have much of a destination since Troy still didn't know where to take them to next.
"I know! Let's go to Central Park!" Taylor excitedly suggested, glancing at the three faces that accompanied her.
"Central Park? Come on, Tay! Let's do something more exciting…like clubbing!" Chad argued unpleased with what she wanted to do. Taylor pouted in his direction.
"Actually, Central Park just might be a good idea to end off this chilled and relaxed day…besides Kelsi mentioned to me that there's some kind of benefit show going on there later. We can try the clubbing thing tomorrow though, man." Troy patted his friends back, attempting to let him down easy. Chad looked at him and rolled his eyes.
"The girl's always win with you!" He threw his hands up in the air to further express his frustration with an exaggerated sigh. Gabriella and Taylor giggled from his minor tantrum.
"Face it. You're just going to have to do what we say for tonight, got it Danforth?" Gabriella said with a sly smirk and a wink, earning a glare from Chad.
Before the two could break into an argument, Troy interrupted. "So let's go hit up those trains, shall we?" He caught the attention of the two beaming girls and the disappointed young man. "Sorry Chad…but I promise we can do that tomorrow…"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever you say." Chad grumpily replied as he followed behind the group towards the train station.
Troy looked around the area, eyeing the beautiful city that he called home. Across the big street, his eyes suddenly stopped and focused on a woman. She had her back to them and was holding onto the hand of a tall muscular man. She had long auburn hair that resembled his wife's.
'Nah…can't be Pam.' As if on cue, the female turned around, still clutching the hand of the man. She was wearing a pair of sunglasses, making it difficult for Troy to see who her identity was. Although she did look a lot like his wife, he gave her the benefit of the doubt. 'She's with her girl's today, she wouldn't do that to me…' Shaking his head as an attempt to forget those thoughts of his wife being unfaithful, Troy led the group down the staircase of the subway.
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The gang stepped off the train and headed towards the nearest exit of the subway. They walked up the stairs and were greeted by the near dark sky, as the sun was the middle of setting. They walked along towards the park in search of where the benefit show would be taking place. Unsure of where exactly it was, Troy called Kelsi.
"Hey Kels…I'm good, u?…that's good. Hey, remember that you mentioned a benefit show in Central Park tonight…well I'm here right now with Chad, Gabriella, and Taylor but I'm not sure where in the park its at…oh you're already there with Patrick…ok…alright…no problem…thanks Kelsi…see you in a bit…bye."
"Well?" Chad asked with anticipation in his voice.
"It's by the big fountain at the center of the park. Follow me." Troy instructed. Gabriella and Taylor shrugged their shoulders as they followed behind, leaving Chad to realize that they already started to walk ahead without him.
"Wait up!"
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Minutes later after their long walk to the center of the park, they finally arrived. The stage was about forty feet away from the enormous fountain but it faced it. It was now dark out so the light posts surrounding them lit up the area along with the stage lights. The trees glistened for they were decorated with white and blue Christmas lights. Overall the scenery looked quite romantic yet fun.
"Where's Kelsi?" Taylor asked, furrowing her brows as she stepped on her tip toes to look through the crowd.
"Not sure, but I do know she's around here somewhere. We'll eventually find her. Let her have her fun with Patrick for now." Answered Troy. A Moment later, the lighting of the stage dimmed as the first performer, a girl who appeared to be about nineteen, stepped onto the stage with her band. The crowd started to slowly bop their heads and sway from side to side as the light rock music began to play. From the crowd's movement, Gabriella was able to spot Kelsi not too far away.
"Hey you guys, Kelsi is standing right over there!" Everyone turned towards where Gabriella was pointing and saw Kelsi standing holding the hand of a guy who was towering over her; both were smiling from whatever they were talking about. "If that's Patrick, then I must say he's pretty cute from over here. They look good together."
Troy thought about what she had just said and couldn't resist the urge to compare how cute he and Gabriella must've looked back then. 'Would we still look cute now? We must, I mean neither of us have changed all that much…we just dress better now…Ok now I'm freaking myself out. I'm thinking about how cute we would look and our clothes! There goes my metro sexual side…not cool.'
Chad, Taylor, Gabriella, and Troy each laced their fingers through the others to make their way through the crowd towards Kelsi and Patrick. Gabriella couldn't deny feeling a slight spark and twist sensation inside the pit of her stomach from feeling Troy's hand hold hers, even if it wasn't romantically. She blushed when he looked back at her with a smirk on his face, most likely feeling the way that she did.
It was like old times.
Moments later, Chad being the one to lead the gang, tapped Kelsi's shoulder causing her to turn around in surprise. Patrick furrowed his brows and put on a face to intimidate the caramel toned man. Noticing that her boyfriend was trying to defend her, Kelsi put a hand on his shoulder and smiled at Chad.
"Chad! You guys found us! Hey Gabs, Tay, Troy!" She shouted. The band was really getting into the loud music as they began their second song. "Patrick I would like for you to meet my friends! This is Chad, Taylor, and Gabriella! I went to high school with them back in Albuquerque! This is Troy, he went to high school with us too but he also works with me at the show! Everyone this is Patrick!" she introduced everyone, beaming the entire time.
"Hey Pat! Nice to finally meet you, Kelsi has mentioned you a lot!" Troy shouted back and shook the man's hand. Patrick gave a warm smile at the crew realizing they didn't mean any harm. He put his arm around Kelsi's shoulder as she snuggled into him. The foursome stood and watched, each envying what they shared…well Troy didn't need to do much envying since he had that but no one knew. But he did wish it were with someone else. Someone with long wavy dark curls, dark chocolate eyes, and a bright smile that lit up any room.
Gabriella and Taylor smiled at the pair, cooing at how adorable they seemed. Chad simply rolled his eyes from their reactions as Troy chuckled. As the minutes went by, they all stood in a comfortable silence staring at the stage and the performers upon it. They swayed to each song and clapped as each one ended. They really did enjoy the atmosphere and the vibe of the setting…it was relaxing actually.
The band finally finished their part of the show as a solo artist stepped onto the stage holding his guitar. He pulled the microphone post towards him and sat upon a stool. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties and had a very scruffy look to him. His clothing appeared to be a bit grungy but nonetheless, he looked good enough for any girl to fall for him. He was one of those heartthrobs of a musician with a mysterious bad boy side.
Looking into the crowd, he grabbed his guitar and spoke into the microphone. "Hey, how's everybody doing tonight?" The crowd answered by cheering. "Sounds good. So I'm going to bring the rock out mood down a bit and settle for something more soothing." With that said, he began to strum his guitar.
Being that it was a slow song, Patrick grabbed Kelsi's hand and led her to the open part for dancing in front of the stage. Quick to follow the lead, Chad bowed down in front of Taylor as she gracefully accepted his invitation to join him.
Troy felt nervous being alone again with Gabriella as their friend's left them behind. He looked away and avoided her eyes, glancing every so often just to catch her staring at him with a smirk.
"Are you expecting me to ask you to dance?" He playfully asked, earning a nudge on his shoulder. He couldn't feel his heart beat when he saw the excitement in her eyes, twinkling with a desire to be in his arms…or was he just dreaming it?
"Well it would be nice if you did." She grinned at him, laughing on the inside from his nervous look. Nope, Troy didn't imagine it. She did want him to ask her.
Mustering up the courage, Troy held his hand out in front of him. Gabriella gave him a warm smile as she placed her hand in his. It was like an electric shot running through their veins. Neither could deny the chemistry that was still there nor the blush that rose on their cheeks. Troy led her to the front where everyone else was and over to the middle. He placed both hands on her waist while she rested hers around his neck. They slowly swayed along to the sound of the musician's voice as he began to sing.
What day is it
And in what month
This clock never seemed so alive
I can't keep up and I can't back down
I've been losing so much time
Troy looked deeply into Gabriella's eyes. He searched for how she felt at this moment, searching for a reflection of his own feelings. But she wasn't going to let him see. She kept her gaze watching Chad and Taylor or Patrick and Kelsi, glancing back at Troy every so often but not long enough for him to hold her gaze.
Cause it's you and me and all of the people
With nothing to do, nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all of the people and
I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you
All of the things that I want to say
Just aren't coming out right
I'm tripping on words
You got my head spinning
I don't know where to go from here
She finally let her eyes stop on Troy, allowing him access to her deepest feelings and to read her soul. Troy gasped as he saw her emotions shine brightly at him, mirroring what he felt. He saw the raw passion that she had as a flame was lit within her. A flame that was a signal that she desired him just as much as he desired her. His stomach began to do somersaults from the happiness that he found hard to contain…yet he was also nervous. Nervous because here she was, showing him what she feels and he knew he felt the same, but nothing could be done. Troy was married, but not to the woman that he first loved, Gabriella.
Cause it's you and me and all of the people
With nothing to do, nothing to prove
And it's you and me and all of the people and
I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off you
Something about you now
I can't quite figure out
Everything she does is beautiful
Everything she does is right
As Gabriella stared intently at the man before her eyes, she listened closely to the words of the song. She broke down its beautiful meaning and couldn't help but to let her sensitive side come out. Tears began to surface at the corner of her eyes and she looked away to hide them from Troy.
She wasn't quick enough.
Noticing, Troy took his hand and grabbed her chin for her to look at him. Seeing that she was about to cry broke his heart into a million pieces since he was unsure of why she suddenly wanted to cry. He figured it was because of Pam.
Cause it's you and me and all of the people
With nothing to do, nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all of the people and
I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of
"Gabi, what's wrong?" he questioned with such a soft voice that it could barely be heard.
"It's nothing, really…" She answered, failing miserably to hide it from Troy.
"Don't give me that. What is it?" Troy pressed on hoping to get a valid answer. He might have not seen her for years but he knew she was still the same girl that he fell in love with all those years ago. He still knew her far too well.
"It's the song…makes me think, you know? Troy, I know I already told you today but I really did miss you. You have no idea how much I did and still do. You have no idea how much I hurt when you left to come here without wanting to try again…" she choked out on the verge on tears.
"Shhh its ok Gabi. I've missed you too…like crazy. And I'm so sorry that I was the one responsible for hurting you the way I did. I never meant to, honest. It hurt me too to just leave you like that when I did and I honestly can say that I do regret it…a lot. It's not like I didn't want to try again because I did…I was just selfish and thinking about myself at the time and about what I wanted for my future. Not that I didn't want you in my future, but I was thinking about my career." She tearfully stared at him, determined to not let the water works splash out of her eyes. "There isn't one day that goes by when you aren't on my mind, even if it's just for a second. I'm really sorry, Gabriella. I really am. If I could go back in time and fix things I would, in the blink of an eye. You being here is enough to make me want to pick up where we left off but I just can't, not now at least. I hope you understand that." Troy finished his speech and reached his hand up to wipe away the tear the managed to escape her eyes.
"Let's just enjoy the moment while its here, ok? That's all I really want right now…" Gabriella asked. Troy nodded his head in agreement to her request. He pulled her closer as she rested her head against his chest for the remainder of the song, listening to his steady heartbeat.
You and me and all of the people
With nothing to do, nothing to prove and
It's you and me and all of the people and
I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you
What day is it
And in what month
This clock never seemed so alive
Gabriella lifted her head from its spot on Troy's shoulder; she looked at him with a look as if to plead him. She appeared as a desperate young girl asking for a cookie from her mom but that was way off target from what Gabriella wanted. She was asking him to show her how to love again and remind her of what it felt like. Seeing everything that she wanted, Troy couldn't be the one to deny her request knowing that he wanted to be the one to fulfill it.
He leant down ever so slowly towards her face, watching as her breath hitched and her eyes flutter close. His own eyes began to slowly droop down as he inched closer towards her lips, anticipating the moment that he'd wanted since before coming to New York; the moment that would finally be his. He was barely four centimeters from her face when a hand grasped his shoulders.
"Come on, dude. I think you did enough of sweeping the gal off her feet for a bit." Chad interrupted, oblivious to what was about to happen.
Gabriella glared at him with a scowling expression. Chad still didn't catch on. He was never good with his timing. Boy was he going to get an ear full later on from Gabriella.
Troy untangled his arms from around her tiny waist as she did the same with her hands that were on his neck.
"Uh…Chad? Remind me to have a talk with you later." Troy said. Look's like Troy was going to let him have it too.
"Sure…anything bad?" Chad asked, looking back at the twosome with annoyed looks on their faces.
"Something like that…" Troy mumbled. Gabriella gave him one last glance before she walked towards Kelsi, Patrick, and Taylor.
Seeing that Gabriella had a pissed off look, Taylor questioned it. Little did Gabriella know, everyone already knew the answer for they watched the whole display.
"I'm just going to kill Chad! That's all…ugh, Taylor you should really hold him back when it comes to certain situations." Gabriella began to let out the steam that had just built up.
"Chad insisted on bringing you guys over to us. You know how he gets when he's anxious and has his mind set on a goal. If only he were like that back when it came to his school work…" Taylor chuckled at her own joke.
"Yeah but he shouldn't do it when special things are about to happen…" The brunette replied. She was still upset from his actions.
"I know…we all saw the thing that was going to happen…" Kelsi said with a grin to go along with it.
"Yep, and there are pictures here on my trusty camera of the moment. Just for your viewing pleasure…" Taylor added. Gabriella blushed as the girls began to tease her. The familiar feeling of butterflies came back again as she glanced back at the boys and saw them walking towards the group.
She looked directly at Taylor as she said, "Hopefully if it happens again, Chad will be kept busy."
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Leave it to Chad to mess things up! Got to love him for that, or do you? lol Pam was almost caught! Too bad for poor Troy that he couldn't find out for sure though..sucks. I wasn't really too enthusiastic with how this chapter came out but I felt it was good enough to post since I've had you guys waiting for a few days now. I hope you guys liked it! Lets see where the next chapter takes us...
By the way, for those of you who are wondering about the song I used, It's by Lifehouse. It's called 'You and Me'...it's one of my absolute all time favorite songs. I plan to dance that with whoever I marry as our first dance at the reception lol And whoever I marry will enjoy it because he has no say into picking the song since I already did it...I'm guessing I sound pretty insane, huh? Anyway, enough of my rambling...
Review!